Chapter 42 Chapter 42

Chapter 42 Chapter 42
  Zachary’s POV
  I smirked the moment I caught the scowl on Asher’s face.
  “She isn’t your wife,” he spat, voice brimming with rage.
  I chuckled, slow and mocking. “Who are you to decide that?” I stepped closer, my tone low and venomous. “Legally, she is my wife. On paper, she’s mine. So what exactly are you yapping about?”
  I swept a glance around the council chamber, every elder watching with bated breath. “I’m glad we’re all here today. This circus has gone on far too long,” I added, letting the amusement fall from my voice as my smile twisted into a glare. “You accused me of a crime I didn’t commit, and despite your pathetic attempts, the truth came out. The real culprit is behind bars.” I leaned in, my voice a hiss in his ear. “You’ll regret ever coming for me, Asher.”
  But instead of rage, he laughed—a loud, bitter laugh that rang through the room.
  “Isabella, let’s go,” he said, reaching for her wrist.
  I stepped between them and yanked his hand off her. Hard. The force sent him flying across the floor, but he landed effortlessly on his feet, his eyes burning into mine.
  “What are you doing, Zachary?” Isabella snapped. “I’m not your wife!”
  Her voice shook with fury, but I pulled her to my side anyway. Without warning, her teeth sank into my wrist. Sharp. Brutal. But I didn’t flinch. I didn’t let go.
  “Zach!” Asher roared, sprinting toward me, but the council members blocked his path, forming a wall between us.
  “Move!” he snarled, hurling one of them across the room. The others held strong, pinning him down.
  “Enough!” the Chief thundered. “You’d risk everything—your people, your home—for a woman who doesn’t even belong to you?”
  Asher fought against their grip, rage seeping from every inch of his body. I couldn’t help but enjoy the sight—him, restrained and powerless.
  “You don’t care about family anymore, do you?” I said to Isabella, my voice low, cruel. “Your mother and sister? Still at the mercy of my mother. And trust me… this is your final warning. Don’t come with me, and I’ll make sure you find their bodies cold and lifeless.”
  Her eyes widened. The color drained from her face.
  “You won’t hurt them,” she breathed. “Asher won’t let you.”
  I chuckled, stepping closer. “You’re still underestimating me. This isn’t a threat, Isabella. It’s a promise. Refuse me, and your family dies. Asher’s entire pack will crumble. And it’ll all be your fault.”
  Silence.
  She stood frozen. Torn. Her gaze flickered to Asher, to the council, to the weight of everything crashing down.
  Then, like lightning, she shoved me away. I stumbled back, stunned by the force in her small frame.
  “Let go of me!” she growled, fury burning in her voice.
  She ran to Asher, fighting past the council trying to reach him. I watched, fuming, my fists clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms.
  “What are you all waiting for?” I snapped at the council. “Do your damn jobs! You’re supposed to uphold order. Don’t let him get away with this!”
  But they didn’t move.
  “I’ve said this so many times, and I’ll keep saying it until it sinks in,” Isabella said, standing between me and Asher now. Her eyes locked with mine, steel in her stare. “I am not your wife, Zachary. I never was. I never will be.”
  Her voice echoed through the hall.
  “I don’t care about titles, or contracts, or your twisted claims. I love Asher. I have always loved him. And nothing—not your threats, not your power—will change that.”
  Asher smirked from behind her, and that look—so smug, so sure—pushed me over the edge.
  “I’m leaving,” Isabella continued. “With Asher. With my mother and sister. And if anything happens to them… I swear, Zachary—I’ll come for you. I’ll end you myself.”
  And just like that, the tides shifted.
  I never expected her to stand up like this, especially in front of the council.
  “Where is Betty?!” Asher’s voice thundered through the room, raw with urgency. I hadn’t even realized she was here.
  “She must’ve run off,” he muttered, scanning the room with narrowed eyes.
  The Chief stepped forward, his expression solemn. “Very well, Asher. You and your people are to leave this city—and never return.”
  The words landed like a hammer.
  Then, he turned to me. “Isabella and Zachary… it’s obvious your marriage cannot stand. The bond is broken. You both must end this relationship.”
  My heart stopped. My eyes widened.
  “No,” I growled. “Isabella is my wife. My mate!”
  The council’s elder raised a hand to silence me. “In cases where an Alpha has imprinted on another, the bond takes precedence. It cannot be broken by legal bindings. Isabella and Asher have a true imprint. It’s clear they’re in love. There’s nothing more to be done.”
  I could feel the rage bubbling under my skin, threatening to break loose.
  “This is absurd!” one of the council members snapped. “Asher cannot simply swoop in, steal a man’s wife, and walk away victorious! This is injustice!”
  “I won’t accept this!” I barked. “You’re rewarding betrayal!”
  “I’m sorry, Alpha,” the Chief replied with finality. “But this is the only just solution. You will dissolve your union with Isabella. That is my final verdict.”
  He turned to Asher. “Alpha Asher, once the divorce is finalized, you may leave with Isabella. But your actions today—your disrespect to this council—will not be forgotten.”
  With that, he exited, followed by the rest of the council.
  Asher pulled Isabella into a hug, and I stormed toward them, shoving them apart with all the fury in my soul.
  “You really think you’ve won, don’t you?” I hissed. “But this is just the beginning, Asher. I swear on everything I have—you will never have her. I would rather die than let you take Isabella.”
  Asher stepped forward until his face was inches from mine, his presence radiating dominance. “Then die, Zachary,” he growled, seizing my neck in a brutal grip.
  My breath caught. His hands tightened. My vision blurred.
  “You really thought you could just take her?” he snarled. “That you could brand her like property and expect no one to fight back?”
  I struggled, clawed at his arm, but his grip only tightened.
  “Asher, stop!” Isabella cried. “He knows where my mother and sister are—we need him alive!”
  That snapped him out of it. He dropped me, and I collapsed to my knees, gasping and coughing.
  “Asher!”
  Michael’s voice echoed as he entered the chamber. I looked up through watery eyes, locking onto his smug face.
  “It’s done,” he said. “I found Isabella’s mom and sister.”
  My heart skipped.
  “What…?” I muttered, breath still ragged. “How—how is that possible?”
  Isabella rushed to Michael, eyes wide with hope. “You found them? Really?”
  “They’re already safe,” he confirmed with a nod. “They’re waiting at the house.”
  Tears welled in her eyes as she threw her arms around him. “Thank you.”
  “I’m just doing my Alpha’s work,” Michael replied, glancing at Asher.
  The rage inside me twisted tighter.
  “How…?” I sputtered. “How is this even possible?”
  “You must not know who I am,” Asher said, pride dripping from every word. “You’ve played your game long enough, Zachary. But it’s over. You’ve lost.”
  He didn’t even look at me as he turned and walked out, Isabella and his men at his side. Their footsteps echoed until the room was silent.
  I stood there, alone, fists clenched so hard my nails drew blood from my palms.
  No.
  This isn’t over.
  Not by a long shot.